Stay connected for upcoming UPC events in 2026.

Stay connected for more UPC events

ALSO DON’T MISS SANAI, L, AND ISHYA AT THE 15TH ANNUAL NEW YORK CITY POETRY FESTIVAL ON GOVERNOR’S ISLAND THIS JULY 19TH FROM 11AM TO 11:30AM.

GET TICKETS FOR THE 15TH ANNUAL NYC POETRY FESTIVAL 2026

(Membership is Not Required).

STAY CONNECTED FOR UPDATES AND MORE INFORMATION.

1. Women (18 years +)

2. Men (18 years +)

See Battle Rules

SERVICE NOTICE: 4-Point Omega Pub. has recently made some necessary changes to competition rules to ensure fairness and clarity for participants. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion these changes may have caused and hope that your helpful comments and support will continue going forward.

RESTRICTIVE RULES & COMPLIANCES

Content considered offensive or discriminating in any manner, including sexist, ageist, racist, religious, or anti any social demographic, and pornography will be disqualified. Musical accompaniments are not allowed. Props are also not allowed in order to ensure the personal safety of our performers and attending audience. Thank you for your cooperation.

4-Point Omega Pub. appreciates your commitment to non-offensive poetry and recitation for the wellbeing of each poet’s reputation and for UPC’s reputation as sustainable literary agents of poetry.

All battle poetry must be the poet’s ORIGINAL work.

PRIZES FOR “BATTLE FOR THE BAG” OPEN MIC WINNER(S VARY PER EVENT).

SPECIAL NOTE

Our CHASE Bank Money Order Check (the same as any Money Order or Check) requires valid ID presented at any CHASE Bank or Check Casher before it can be exchanged for currency. Please be advised that in order to mitigate security concerns, UPC does not issue awards in cash.

BATTLE RULES

UPC prefers that performing poets refrain from using the N word (historically or currently genre-driven) in any of its controversial forms or definitions to embellish or express poetic or personal sentiment, including language that might be offensive to any social demographic. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

POETS MAY PERFORM ANY TYPE OF POETRY, INCLUDING HIP-HOP POETRY, EXCLUDING EXCESSIVE USE OF PROFANITY AND CATEGORICALLY OFFENSIVE TERMS THAT REFER DEROGATORILY TO ANY DEMOGRAPHIC (INCLUDING RACE, SEX, RELIGION, AGE, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, OR IDEOLOGY).

POETS WILL COMPETE FOR 7-8 MINUTES EACH FOR TWO ROUNDS. AT THE END OF ROUND ONE, THE TEN POETS WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE WILL COMPETE IN ROUND TWO. AT THE END OF ROUND TWO, THE POET WITH HIGHEST SCORE WILL BE AWARDED “LADIES CRYSTAL OPEN MIC” CHAMPION AND RECEIVE HER WINNINGS.

TIE-BREAKER RULES

IF THERE IS A 2-WAY TIE BETWEEN POETS AT THE END OF ROUND ONE, POETS WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO SHARE THE $1000 ($500 EACH) OR CONTINUE TO COMPETE, UNTIL THERE IS ONE CLEAR WINNER.

IF THERE IS A 3-WAY TIE, THE THREE POETS WILL CONTINUE TO COMPETE, UNTIL THERE IS ONE CLEAR WINNER.

JUDGING

Judges will be preselected from the audience at the start of the competition. Competing Attendees will receive scores for their poetry based on a Scoring Chart, which Competing Attendees will receive no later than 30 days prior to Ladies’ Event Night.

REVISED SCORING CHART FOR JULY 12, 2026.

A scoring rubric for performance evaluation, divided into rounds with criteria for physical stage presence, vocal delivery, dramatic delivery, understanding the poem, and overall performance. Each category includes descriptions of 'Good', 'Excellent', and 'Outstanding' performances with corresponding scores.

By competing in this Open Mic Poetry Competition, poets give consent to release their likeness on video for promotional reasons at UPC Organizer’s discretion. For performance on video, Performing Poets agree to receive a 1-time CHASE BANK MONEY ORDER CHECK payment of $100 on the day of the event or the same amount via electronic payment the following day (via ZELLE. NO OTHER FORM OF ELECTRONIC PAYMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE.

Performers will receive a video copy of their performance at no cost, no later than 60 days after the event.

This event is sponsored by Universal Poets’ Club, LLC and 4-Point Omega Publications, a parent company.

Sanai
L.
Ishya

Main Menu:

Home

About UPC

Contact UPC

Events

Learn

Services Deck

Youth Alliance

Submenu:

Go to Service Deck 1

Service Deck II / Service Deck III / Service Deck IV /

Service Deck V / Service Deck VI / Service Deck VII /

Service Deck VIII / Service Deck IX / Service Deck X /

Go to Events Page

Go to Youth Alliance Page /

Youth Services Deck I

Youth Services Deck II

Youth Services Deck III

RSVP to Compete

About UPC / Contact UPC / Events / Learn / Services Deck / Youth Alliance/

Home

Tell us how we’re doing in the box below.

Leave a Reply

4-Point Omega Pub. reserves the right to amend its Restrictive Rules & Compliances at its own discretion for the protection and good of the service and poetry community.